Turbine supporting arrangement



March 264, 1940. i G, BQ WARREN v 2,195,230

TURBINE SUPPRTING ARBANGEMENT Filed June 25, 1938 zal Inventor: G Ienn B. Wnrren,

His Attorney;

axial. direction under varying conditions .of opy-l-companying drawing.

vvor the supporting framework. Where the vturbine units are fastcoupled to speed `reducing gearing, it is necessary that the end ofk the turbine adjacent the gearing be fixed in 'la predetermined axial alignment with respect to Patented Mar. 26,

e f Y2,195,230

TURBINE surson'rme ARRANGEMENT Glenn B. -Warrem Nisliayuna, N. Y., assigner to General Electric Companmga corporation of `NewYork applicaties' me@ c5, 1938, serial Nopziaslos i Claims. (o1. eli- 95) The present invention relates to elastic uid turbines and moreparticularly to arrangements for supporting elastic fluid turbines usedy for v propelling'ships and the like.

Due to the expansionand contraction of the l turbine elements. during varying loadconditions, l

it is necessaryto provide supporting means which vwill allow expansion movements of the turbine casing in a manner so asto preclude undesirable stresses being set up inthe turbine elements In installations the gearing. The supporting arrangement, howeverjmust allow .the end of the turbine remote yfrom the gearing to expand in the axial direction and prevent the turbine from' moving orshifting in the transverse direction out of such alignment. f 1

It is'an object oi my invention to provide an improved construction and arrangement for supporting ship propulsion turbines and the like whereby they may expand and contractin the erating temperature Without creating undue stresses in the turbine or the connected' elements.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a supporting arrangement forashiplpropulsion turbine' of highl and 'low pressure units 'and an associated condenser whichs simple in design yhavingY arelatively small number of structural members and 'accordingly of i relatively light weight `yet'nefective and eiiicient in operation. l I

f For a better understanding` of what I believe to be novel 'and my invention;` attention is directed to the following description andthe claims appended thereto taken. in connection with the ac- In the drawing, Figflillustrates a side elevation of a turbine arrangement embodying lmyv invention, Fig. v2 is an'end View of the'arrangement shown in Fig. l, while 3 illustrates a .modicaton of the invention.

The elastic fluid turbine comprises a high pressure unit lil and a double flow low pressure unit il arranged axially parallel with respect to each other. OperatingV luid is suppiied to the high pressure unit through the inletI l2 and exhausts therefrom throughthe connection i3 to the low pressure unit. 'The rotors of the 'two turbine units are connected through shafts lf3 and i5 to speed reducing gearing disposed within the housing i6y which transmitsrthe power. to the pro peller shaft it. The speed reducing gearing is vmounted on suitable girders or ship framework members il.

A condenser forco'ndensing the exhaust elas-`-`v4 tic fluid from the low pressure turbine unit is disposed longitudinally'parallel with and beneath the turbines', the vaporinlet thereof being directly connected with. the exhaust casing IS of the low pressure unit through the connection 20.

kThe condenser may be of any Wellsknown type such as of a water cooled type, as shown, which comprises a -central drum section 2l and end sections and A plurality of tubes 24secured in thetube sheets-25 and 2.6 extend lons gtudinallyl through the drum 2l and communicate with the end chambers. Cooling uicL-such as Water, 'maybe passed through the inlet' 2l,

.circulated through the tubes .2t and discharged Condensa'te may `be drained from the condenser drum through the through the.v outlet connection M In the preferred form. of my invention, the tube sheet 2li in the left or foreend of'the condenser, as viewed in Fig. l, is a relativelyheavy and-rigid plate having an extended areaprojecting` beyond the sides of the drum which, in addition to its normal function o-fdsupporting the condenser tubes the turbine units. as will begdescr-ibed.

The low" pressure turbine exhaust vcasing i9 y 2t, also l forms a part of the supporting arrangement for maybe of any suitable forni suchas of the type v shown in Patentlg, John El. Doran, and

assigned `to the General Electric Company. Such an exhaust casing is of a Vlight Weight and a compactly `fabricated design.l Thev exhaustcasing is provided with extensions 3@ :for xedly support. ring the right or aft-end of the low pressure unit,

as Viewed vin Fig. l, in a predetermined axial alignment with thegearing. Although the aft. .end oi-the turbine may be'prcperly supported by different means, l prefer to' provide thegearing housing With one orlmoresuitable brackets as y indicated at3i to which the extensions Sti'rnay be fastened. lBy this arrangement substantial savings inv materials,` weight and space are effected while'at they same time relative vmovements between "the turbine andthe gearing may be more eiectively precluded.

tion 32 of an upper extension of the condenser tube sheet 125. The loweriportion of the tube sheet is also-provided'with flanged portions ori feet 23 for fastening to the -beam sections Sdil Which in turn are securedI to the girders or other s.

The fore-end ofk the 10Wv pressure unit is secured to a flanged pory accordance with the operating conditions. of.

temperature. Since the I-beam sections 34 are perpendicular to the axes of the turbine units,

movements of the foreends of the turbine units in a direction transverse .to the axes thereof are eiectively precluded.

The high pressure turbine unit lll is also sup ported between thev gearing housing and the condenser tube sheet 25 but independently of the low pressure unit and in a mannerso that its structure may expand or contract independently of the'cther elements.. As shown, the high pressure unit is suitably mounted upon .supporting frame 3l, cured upon brackets dit extending from the gea"- ing housing and ina mannerv so that relative movements between this unit and the gearing are substantially preciuded. The fore-end ci' the frame 3l' is supported upon a portion of the tube sheet 25 through an intermediate relatively flexible plate fifi, the plate liti being an ranged perpendicularly with respect to the axis of the high pressure turbine. ThusQwhile the aft-end of the high pressure turbineunit is relatively rigidly xed, axial expansion movements of the turbine unit may take place by the exing of the plate 1363 between the frame 3l' and the tube sheet 25.

While I have shown a supporting arrangement as adapted for a turbine comprising a pair of units, it is obvious thatii a condensing turbinev of a single unit is to be` supported, the arrangement described in connection with the low pressure unit will be satisfactory. In Fig. Y3 is illustrated a second modification of the invention in which the weight of the condensing turbine unit I i is transmitted to the condenserstructure through the rigid exhaust connectionl 2E. In this arrangement it is understood thatthe drum 2! is ci sufficient strength and rigidity for supporting the weight ofthe turbine. Thejexten'ded tube sheet having the anges 32 and 33, as described in connection with the rst modiiicaticn, may be dispensed with while thev weight of the condenser and the superposed turbine is transmitted through any suitable means such as the brackets i2 to the relatively flexible I-beam sections 34. v

Having described the principle of operation of my invention together with the 4apparatus which I now consider to represent the best'embodiment thereoi, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire Vto secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

yLIu combination, a turbine,` speed reducing gearing connected tosaid turbine, means .For xedly supporting thel end of said lturbine adjacent said gearing in a predetermined aiignment therewith, a condenser disposed beneath said turbine and having inlet rigidly connected with the exhaust casing thereof, said condenser having a relatively rigid 'transverse section adjacent one end thereof and secured to said turbine the ait-end of which is iixedly se-v framework members 35. ,A The I-beam ysections 34' are arranged so that the relatively thin and for supporting the weight of the end of said turbine remote from said gearing, relatively'i'lexible means arranged beneathV said transverse condenser section for supporting the end kof said condenser remote from said gearing so as to allow 5 axial expansion movements of 'said condenser and said turbine relative to said gearing.

2. In combination, a turbine, driven means connected with the rotor of said turbine, means for xedlysupporting the end ofsaid turbine ad- 10 jacent said driven means in a predetermined alignment therewith, a condenser disposed beneath said turbineand having an inlet xedly secured tothe exhaust casing of said turbine,

relatively rigid means including a portion of said 15 condenser fastenedto said turbine for support' ingthe weight of thejend of said turbine remote from said driven means, means arranged beneath said condenser portionffor supporting said condenser so as to allow expansion movements in 20 the axial; direction of said condenser and said Y turbine while preventing movements of said turbine and said condenser transversely to said axial direction. f

3. In combination, aturbine, drivenmeanscon- 25 nected to said turbine, means l for iixedly supporting the end of turbine adjacent said driven means in a predetermined alignment therewith, a longitudinal condenser disposedparallel with,

and beneath said turbine, means rigidly securing `30 lthe inlet of said condenser with the exhaust casing of said turbine, said condenser having a tube sheet in the end thereof remote from saiddriven means` and transverse tothe yaxis of said turbine,

said tube sheet being rigidly connected to said '35 turbine for supporting the weight of the end of said turbineremote from said driven means,means for supporting said condenser and said turbine in* cluding relatively flexible means arranged vbeneath said tube sheet lpermitting expansion move- S40 ments of the condenser `and said turbine with respect to: said driven means only in the axial direction.

4. `In combination, a turbine, speedvreducing gearing connected to said turbine, means for sup- Vi5 porting lthe end of said turbine adjacent said` gearing rigidly upon the housing of said gearing, a condenser disposed beneath said turbine and rigidly connected with the exhaust casing oi saidv turbine, means for rigidly supporting 'the end oil 50 said turbine remote from said gearing upon said condenser, flexible means arranged beneath said condenser for supporting the end of 'said condenser remote from said gearing so as to allow axial expansion movements of said condenser and.

said remote end of said turbine relative to isaid gearing, the end of said condenser adjacent said gearing being supported solely from said turbine.

5. In combination, a turbine, speed reducing gearing connected to said` turbine, means forte() nxedly `supporting the end` `ol said turbine adjacent said gearing in a predetermined relation,- ship with respect to said gearing, a longitudinal condenser disposed parallel with and beneath'said turbine, means rigidly securing the inlet of said condenser with the exhaust casing of said turbine, said condenser having atransverse tube sheet in the end thereof remote from said gearing, means movements of said remote`end of said turbine with respect to said gearing only in the axial direction.

6. In combination, a turbine comprising a high pressure unit and av low pressure unit, speed reducing gearing connected to each of said turbine units,means for xedlysupporting theends of said turbine units adjacent said gearing in a predetermined relationship withrespect to said gearing, a condenser disposed beneath said turbine and secured to the exhaust casing of said low pressure unit, means including a relatively rigid cross-sectional portion of said condenser for supporting the ends of said turbine units remote from said gearing, means secured to the lowerv part of said condenser portion for supporting said condenser and said remote ends of said turbine units including means permitting expansion movements of said `turbine relative to said gearing only in the axial direction.

7. In combination, a turbine comprising a high pressure unit and a low pressure unit, speed reducing gearing connected to each of said' units, means `for lxedly supporting the ends of said turbine units in -a predetermined `relationship with respect to said gearing, a longitudinal condenser disposed parallel with and beneath said turbine, the inlet thereof being secured to the exhaust casing of said lowA pressure unit, said condenser having a relatively rigid transverse ltube sheet means for supporting the ends of said turbine units remote from said gearing upon said tube sheet of said condenser, means for support-` 8. In combination, a turbine comprising a high pressure unit and a low pressure unit, speed reducing gearing connected to each of said units, means for xedly Supporting the ends of said turbine units adjacent said gearing'in apred'e- .termined relationship with respect to said gearing, la condenser connected to the exhaust casing of said low pressure unit, means for supporting the end of said low pressure unit remote from said gearing on said condenser, means for flexibly supporting the end of said high pressure unitv remote from said gearing on said condenser so kas to allow axial expansion movements between said remote end of said high pressure unit and said condenser, means arranged beneath said con- 9. In combination, a turbine, driven means con- 1 bine` having a relatively rigid vertical section for supporting the weight of said corresponding turbine end, relatively flexible means arranged loe-v neath said rigid condenser section for supporting said condenser so as to allow longitudinal expansion movements of said turbine with respect to said driven means. y

10. In combination, a turbine, driven means connected'to the rotor of said turbine, means for rigidly supporting the end of said turbine adjacent said driven means in a predetermined axial alignment therewith, a condenser arranged be-` neath said turbine and rigidly connected to the exhaust casing thereof, said condenser having a relatively rigid cross-sectional portion adjacent the end of the turbine remote from said driven means for supporting the weight of said remote turbine end, and means secured to the lower portion of said rigid condenser portion forfsupporting the condenser and the corresponding end ofA said turbine so as to allow only longitudinal expansion movements of said condenser and said turbine.

' GLENN B. WARREN. 

